On My Way
by alcarter
Summary: How the story got from Quinn's crash to there not being a wedding, plus a little later on scene. Spoilers through 3x15 "Big Brother". (Not Faberry)


"Finn. Okay, I'll just - we'll wait on Quinn and - I have five minutes? If Quinn doesn't reply in five minutes then I'll - we'll - I'll consider." Rachel was pacing the dressing room at the Civil Court House in Lima frantically.

"You'll? Rachel, we have to go so you can marry me!" Finn resigned from trying to understand the implications of whatever his fiancée was talking about, and punched the wall.

"Woah! Easy, there, Rambo. We don't want you to break the wall. Or your hand." Blaine tried to calm the boy, restraining him with the aid of Puck and getting him to sit down. Santana decided to also force Rachel into a chair, the pacing only making everyone more nervous. It also made them think more of how terrible an idea this wedding was whilst not giving Rachel the headspace to think of what she should do. Another minute passed in relative silence before two cell phones starting ringing.

 _At the same time, two miles from the Court House_

Quinn looked up at the oncoming before flicking her eyes back to her phone, ready to hit "send" before her arm was put into shock and her cell flew into the passenger window, a heavy impact crushing her left side and the seat twisting her, whatever just happened sent a sharp, excruciating, pain down her spinal cord before it went numb. This pain redirected to her head, though, Quinn heard people begin to scream and a distant dial tone when she fell unconscious.

"Oh my god! Is she alive?" A middle aged woman, on call to 911, came over to the distressed truck driver and told him to stay put in case he was injured, the paramedics were literally 30 seconds away due a thankfully placed depot and wondrously timed training. He'd only just looked up to her when the sirens were heard, not necessary to clear the empty road that surrounded the collision site and Quinn's car now crushed in half.

The paramedic didn't want to remove her without a back board after assessing what were likely already serious spinal injuries, but that she was otherwise mostly stable. Instead, he found her insurance in the car door and called the emergency contact number. His driver, at the same time, noticed the open text display of the girl's cell phone. "Guess we know why she got hit" He joked, the paramedic glaring at him as Judy answered her phone.

"Hello, ma'am, would you know a Miss Lucy Fabray? Tall, short blonde hair, crucifix necklace, drives a red beetle, approximately 20 years in age." The paramedic was straight to the point, voice hard, the ambulance driver holding his hands up in surrender.

"Y-yes, that's my daughter." Judy said, then added, "She's only 18."

"Ma'am, your daughter has been involved in a serious road traffic collision, cause unknown, and appears stable. We are unable to remove her from the vehicle without assistance, however. The Allen County Fire Department should arrive at the incident location within 10 minutes and from there we shall proceed to the Lima Emergency Department. If you wish to see your daughter immediately, please bring proof of identification."

Judy was in shock. This man sounded emotionless and like he was reeling off a standard recording message - he probably was. "Thank you." She said, and he hung up. Quinn was supposed to be with Santana at Finn's wedding, wasn't she? At least, Santana had been the one to tell her.

"Hey, Joe, shall I call the girl she was texting, too? Sounds important, and that is a fancy dress she's wearing." The ambulance driver asked.

"Yeah, sure. Keep an eye on her and I'll check the guy that hit her. She's Lucy, by the way, 18." the paramedic responded, taking a small first aid bag to the truck driver sitting with the woman who called 911.

"Whose phone is that?" Finn asked as Rachel began juggling the cell that starting buzzing in her hands and Santana took her own from Brittany's clutch.

"Quinn?" Rachel asked

"Hi, is this Rachel?" A man's voice asked.

"Er, yes. Do you have Quinn?"

"Is that who this phone belongs to?" He sounded just as confused as her.

" _I already told you, it's Lucy!_ This chick's asking for Quinn!" Rachel heard from the other line.

"Quinn's real name is Lucy. Lucille Quinn Fabray."

"Oh. Okay, that makes sense - why didn't you say her middle was Quinn, Joe?! _Are you going to talk to her or not, I'm busy!_ Sorry, Rachel. Erm, was Quinn on her way to something important?"

"She's coming to my wedding, she's my bridesmaid."

"I'm sorry, Rachel, but Quinn was involved in a serious road traffic collision, and-"

"What!?" Rachel and Santana shrieked simultaneously. The room dropped silent, the previous mutterings over the strange phone conversations - the side that could be heard - ending as Santana and Rachel both punctuated their exclamations with a race to the exit. Santana then gained the hindsight to double back and, clinging to the door, said "Quinn. Crash. Hospital." before grabbing Brittany and heading for the taller girl's car.

 _At the same time, the Fabray home_

Judy thought to call Santana, to ask her where Quinn could be and to tell her the news. The girls had cemented their roles as best friends, even if they didn't interact as much, this year. Judy had also invited Santana and Brittany to dinner the night she saw Mr Salazar's television ad spot run as amends, finally showing Quinn that she was truly not her ex-husband. Quinn came out to her that next morning, Judy cutting off her tearful speech when it reached "I know it's different when it's someone else's kid". Judy said as long as she didn't fall for someone like her father she didn't care, which had prompted Quinn letting herself make more friends and be a real friend to her teammate.

"Santana?"

"Judy? Do you know where Quinn is? Rachel's freaking out that she's not here yet."

"Oh, dear. I-" There was a long pause.

"Mrs F? Are you still there? Is Q with you?"

"Did Quinn not drive with you to the courthouse? No, of course she didn't, she was here! She was here a few minutes ago-" and Judy had to stop, beginning to cry.

"Judy? Are you okay? Hello?" Santana was becoming worried, Brittany rubbing soothing circles on her free hand in hers.

"Quinn got hit by a truck. We have to get to the ED." Judy finally said.

"What!?" Santana called out, noticing Rachel also do so and locking eyes. Both girls had clearly just received the same message and, as if it were a postscript, both jumped up to get to the ED as quickly as they could. Halfway down the hallway, Santana noted the absence of a hand in hers and, letting Rachel run on, went to shock everybody into joining them. When she reappeared, Brittany came over to her, and ran alongside her after her short message had been imparted. Sue also began running, getting in front of the couple and ordering them to her La Car. Finn was left solitary in the waiting room, mumbling about the wedding not happening, and kicked over a chair.

 _Two months later._

"Okay. Everyone, settle down." Will said to the glee club. "I know you haven't all been performing to your best recently, but I think I know what will make you all more - perky!" He settled on.

"We're not taking Vitamin D, again, Mr Schue." Kurt drawled, bored, as he played his fingers over the top of the piano.

"Nope." Will said, pointing his marker at the boy's face before turning back to majority of the kids sat on the risers. "Guys, I have some good news, and some bad news."

"Good news first, we need some." Rachel said tiredly.

"Okay - Quinn's back on Monday!"

"What?"

"Oh my god!"

"Homegirl, back in business!"

"Wait-" Puck interrupted the celebrations, "What's the bad news?"

Everyone calmed down as Will cleared his throat and looked to the floor. "Well, guys, you see. Quinn's accident, it. It was pretty serious. I'm not a doctor, I don't know too much, but her mom wanted me to warn at least some of the students for before Quinn came back. She - er - she suffered major spinal trauma. Which basically means, er-"

The pause was growing as Will fiddled with his marker and his hair. Many of the more logical of the group began suspecting what Will's hesitation and the mention of Quinn's spine might imply, but before anyone could ask, Artie pushed his wheelchair towards Will and announced "Exhibit A." There were gasps around the room before Will cleared his throat again.

Putting a hand on one of the handles of Artie's wheelchair, he finally finished "Yeah, guys. Quinn er - she can't walk. When you see her, she'll be in a wheelchair. She's gone through recovery in Akron, so she's okay-"

"Okay? How can you say she's okay, Mr Schue? She's in a wheelchair!" Puck was getting angry.

"Puck, calm down." Will shouted, accidentally giving Artie a bit of a push into Rachel. "Oh, sorry there. Don't these things have brakes?" He asked, oblivious.

"Nope, okay. Mr Schue, you can't be around someone who just got in a wheelchair when you're nearly pushing Artie out of his and he's used to it! Sorry, bro" Puck called.

"Puckerman, out!" Will shouted. "Would anybody else like to get angry? I'm sure Principal Figgins would be more than happy to talk to you all about proper conduct."

"Mr Schue, don't we have a right to be angry?" Rachel asked softly. "We just found out that our close friend is paralysed, and we all can't help but feel some guilt, we've all hurt her before. Surely a situation like this is going to stir passionate emotions, and if that manifests as anger then Noah can't help it!"

"I'm sick of your back talk, Rachel. You're out, too!" Will shouted, pointing at the door where Rachel marched towards Puck, still hanging by the door. This is when he broke down himself, crying turning into him sitting in the middle of the floor, weeping and holding himself. Sam and Blaine went over to console him, but he batted them away. "We were all so hard on Quinn. She deserves to - to go to Yale, and to walk there!" He paused. "She asked me, after Terri went crazy on her car sophomore year when she wouldn't give her Beth, if she should get her mirrors or anything checked out. I-I- I said it would be fine, but - but what, what i-if that's why she got hit?"

"It's not your fault, Mr Schue." Blaine said, pulling him up.

"No, it's nobody's fault." Sam added. "Sometimes the universe just doesn't like people. Quinn's too good and like, Lucifer can't stand it." He smiled.

"So what happened to Quinn and Mr Schue?" Brittany asked.


End file.
